Attack of the Giant Hogweed and the Best Summer Pie Ever

byJoan Robinett WilsononJuly 13, 2014

Summerburst pie captures my favorites tastes of summer!

The filling before baking

This past Fourth of July was a good one for many reasons – one of them being a new gastric delight I created and devoured. I like to call it summerburst pie because it has all of my favorite flavors of summer in it; fresh local raspberries and bing and rainier cherries (but you can use any fresh sweet cherry) and California peaches (Washington peaches are not quite ripe yet). This concoction has risen to the top of my all time greatest pies list. Absolutely divine! However, Summerburst pie was not the only memorable thing that took place last week……

the dastardly giant hogweed- deceptively pretty

This past week was to be my week of alone time (not counting the hard working Lieutenant); The Fourth was over and I was going to catch up on my work, catch up with my friends, paint the goat villa, and perhaps fold my 17 loads of laundry eagerly awaiting me. This was because, miracle of miracles, all of the kids were going to be gone at the same time; an event that has never occurred in my lifetime. Miss G. at her internship at the Duke University Lemur Center, Mr. D. at high school leadership camp & Coco at our Presbyterian Church Camp a couple of hours away over the mountains in Eastern Washington. Alas, it was not to be and all because of the Giant Hogweed, an extremely toxic plant no one around here has ever heard of. On her first full day of camp, Coco fell off a log onto a Giant Hogweed. Later that day her ankle was swollen and spots appeared on her body which grew and blistered. Initially, insects were suspected, but ruled out…The next day, it was deduced that it had to be a plant that did it. She was taken to the doctor in the nearest town who spoke to the weed people in New York state (who are the giant hogweed experts) about it. The sap of the giant hogweed contains photosensitizing furanocoumarins (no, I don’t know what that means), so when it contacts human skin in conjunction with sunlight, it can cause phytophotodermatitis. Ugh!!! Coco was prescribed steroid cream & ordered to stay out of the sun for 48 hours. The no sun edict, large oozing blisters, and very swollen ankle ruled out staying at camp. So, on day 2 of the week alone, I was alone no more.

Coco is healing up well now, but I think we will always remember the Giant Hogweed incident and I think my family will always remember Summerburst pie (and beg me for it!)

So as you know, I’m not a fan of pies but this yummy looking delight could make me a convert! As for Miss Coco, oh dear! Hope she’s on the mend soon so she can help you fold laundry and paint the goat villa.

Snohomish, WA is where you’ll find me, architect mom,”drafting a life”;working from home as an architect, managing my family’s lives, forgetting to clean the house, building some crazy thing or another, sometimes cooking a great meal and always packing my kids horrible lunches.